The Transfer Portal window was looming like a ticking time bomb over North Carolina’s coaching search. That’s not the only reason he got the job, but it was undeniably a motivation behind the decision to hire Michael Malone in time to rebuild the roster, rather than waiting for the NBA season to end and to pursue Billy Donovan. That decision is already paying off.
Malone made a major portal pickup on Monday, adding Virginia Tech forward Neoklis Avdalas. That only kicked off a day of movement with Jarin Stevenson announcing his return to Chapel Hill and 5-star Dylan Mingo being released from his commitment.
While that reshuffling has given the Tar Heels some clarity on next year’s roster, the overhaul is far from complete, so Malone’s next moves, along with newly hired assistant Kim English, will be just as important. Here’s what they might look like.
1. Terrence Brown commitment
UNC lost Derek Dixon and agreed with Mingo to go their separate ways, so Malone desperately needs clarity in the backcourt. Terrence Brown would certainly provide some. The Utah transfer was in Chapel Hill for a visit on Monday, and while he has a trip to Lexington lined up, the Tar Heels are viewed as the overwhelming favorite.
In many ways, Brown is the antithesis of Dixon and Kyan Evans, last year’s point guards. He’s an aggressive downhill attacker who puts relentless pressure on the paint and who would pair extremely well with a pick-and-pop seven-footer. Maybe one like Henri Veesaar.
2. Henri Veesaar coming back
Veesaar has not made his official NBA Draft decision, but the good news is that he’s reportedly between the NBA and UNC, rather than a portal move. Most pre-draft analysis views him as an early second-round selection, which, in the NIL era, typically isn’t enough to get a player to forgo eligibility.
The bigger indication that Veesaar is likely heading back to Chapel Hill, however, is UNC’s relative lack of interest in centers on the portal market. From Avadalas to Brown to Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris, Malone has primarily been focused on perimeter players, which is as strong a sign as any that Veesaar will be back for his senior year.
3. Isaiah Denis coming back
Last summer, Isaiah Denis reaggravated a hand injury that had ailed him throughout his senior year of high school, and that severely stunted the four-star’s development. Denis appeared in just 10 games as a true freshman and looked like the perfect candidate for a fresh start elsewhere, but he’s yet to commit, and with Dixon committed to Arizona and Mingo in search of a new home, there’s certainly room for that fresh start to happen with a new head coach in Chapel Hill.
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